1972–73 Atlanta Flames season

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1972–73 Atlanta Flames
Division	7th West
1972–73 record	25–38–15
Goals for	191
Goals against	239
General Manager	Cliff Fletcher
Coach	Bernie Geoffrion
Captain	Keith McCreary
Team leaders
Goals	Bob Leiter (26)
Assists	Bob Leiter (34)
Points	Bob Leiter (60)
Penalties in minutes	Pat Quinn (113)

This was the inaugural season for the Flames' franchise.

Contents:	Regular season – Playoffs – Player stats – Awards and records - Transactions Roster - Draft picks – Farm teams – See also – References

[edit] Offseason

[edit] NHL Amateur Draft

See also: 1972 NHL Amateur Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	College/Junior/Club Team
1	2.	Jacques Richard	Canada	Québec Remparts (QMJHL)
2	18.	Dwight Bialowas	Canada	Regina Pats (WCJHL)
3	34.	Jean Lemieux	Canada	Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL)
4	50.	Don Martineau	Canada	New Westminster Royals (WCJHL)
5	78.	John Martin	Canada	Shawinigan Bruins (QMJHL)
6	82.	Frank Blum	Canada
7	98.	Scott Smith	Canada	Regina Pats (WCJHL)
8	114.	Dave Murphy	Canada	Hamilton Red Wings (OHA)
9	130.	Pierre Roy	Canada	Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

[edit] NHL Expansion Draft

Pick	Player	Position	Drafted From
1.	Phil Myre	G	Montreal Canadiens
3.	Dan Bouchard	G	Boston Bruins
6.	Kerry Ketter	D	Montreal Canadiens
8.	Norm Gratton	LW	New York Rangers
10.	Ron Harris	D	Detroit Red Wings
12.	Larry Romanchych	RW	Chicago Black Hawks
14.	Bill MacMillan	LW	Toronto Maple Leafs
16.	Randy Manery	D	Detroit Red Wings
18.	Keith McCreary	RW	Pittsburgh Penguins
20.	Ernie Hicke	C	California Golden Seals
22.	Lew Morrison	RW	Philadelphia Flyers
24.	Lucien Grenier	LW	Los Angeles Kings
26.	Bill Plager	D	St. Louis Blues
28.	Morris Stefaniw	C	New York Rangers
30.	John Stewart	LW	Pittsburgh Penguins
32.	Bob Leiter	C	Pittsburgh Penguins
34.	Pat Quinn	D	Vancouver Canucks
36.	Larry Hale	D	Philadelphia Flyers
38.	Bill Heindl	LW	Minnesota North Stars
40.	Frank Hughes	LW	California Golden Seals
42.	Rod Zaine	C	Buffalo Sabres

[edit] Regular season

When it was first announced that Atlanta would have an NHL franchise many hockey observers thought that a team based in the southern United States was a ludicrous and foolish move, especially since the talent pool had been diluted by repeated expansion and the upstart WHA. Nevertheless, the team quickly began front office operations, naming young Blues assistant general manager Cliff Fletcher as general manager. Soon after, Fletcher had found the team its first coach: former Canadiens star forward Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion.

The team was a pleasant surprise in its first season on the ice, its success built on new star goaltenders Dan Bouchard and Phil Myre, solid defensemen such as Randy Manery and Pat Quinn, and forwards Rey Comeau, (captain) Keith McCreary, Larry Romanchych and Bob Leiter. Despite its inexperience as a team, the Flames were quite successful in the beginning of their rookie season, posting a 20–19–8 record by January 19, 1973, off the success of their young goaltending tandem. Unfortunately, they lost 19 of their last 31 games, finishing out of the playoffs. Part of the problem as that in defiance of all geographic reality, the Flames were placed in the West Division -- saddling them with some of the longest road trips in the league -- and ultimately, the team's excellent defense and goaltending were sabotaged by its lack of goalscoring, finishing second worst in the NHL in that category. However, their 65 points were 35 better than the Islanders, who toiled at the bottom of the East Division.

[edit] Season standings

West Division	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
Chicago Black Hawks	78	42	27	9	284	225	93
Philadelphia Flyers	78	37	30	11	296	256	85
Minnesota North Stars	78	37	30	11	254	230	85
St. Louis Blues	78	32	34	12	233	251	76
Pittsburgh Penguins	78	32	37	9	257	265	73
Los Angeles Kings	78	31	36	11	232	245	73
Atlanta Flames	78	25	38	15	191	239	65
California Golden Seals	78	16	46	16	213	323	48

[edit] Player stats

[edit] Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes

			Regular season						Playoffs
Player	#		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Bob Leiter	16		78	26	34	60	19		-	-	-	-	-
Larry Romanchych	21		70	18	30	48	39		-	-	-	-	-
Rey Comeau	18		77	21	21	42	19		-	-	-	-	-
Keith McCreary	9		77	20	21	41	21		-	-	-	-	-
Ernie Hicke‡	12		58	14	23	37	37		-	-	-	-	-
Curt Bennett†	5		52	18	17	35	9		-	-	-	-	-
Randy Manery	7		78	5	30	35	44		-	-	-	-	-
John Stewart	17		68	17	17	34	30		-	-	-	-	-
Jacques Richard	15		74	13	18	31	32		-	-	-	-	-
Leon Rochefort†	11		54	9	18	27	10		-	-	-	-	-
Bill MacMillan	20		78	10	15	25	52		-	-	-	-	-
Pat Quinn	3		78	2	18	20	113		-	-	-	-	-
Lew Morrison	8		77	6	9	15	19		-	-	-	-	-
Noel Price	4		54	1	13	14	38		-	-	-	-	-
Bill Plager	2		76	2	11	13	92		-	-	-	-	-
Noel Picard†	22		41	0	10	10	43		-	-	-	-	-
Norm Gratton‡	10		29	3	6	9	12		-	-	-	-	-
Bob Paradise	6		71	1	7	8	103		-	-	-	-	-
Ron Harris‡	5		24	2	4	6	8		-	-	-	-	-
Morris Stefaniw	19		13	1	1	2	2		-	-	-	-	-
Kerry Ketter	24		41	0	2	2	58		-	-	-	-	-
Arnie Brown†	19		15	1	0	1	17		-	-	-	-	-
Butch Deadmarsh†	10		19	1	0	1	8		-	-	-	-	-
Dan Bouchard	30		34	0	1	1	12		-	-	-	-	-
Phil Myre	1		46	0	1	1	5		-	-	-	-	-
Bill Hogaboam‡	11		2	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-

^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Atlanta. Stats reflect time with the Flames only. ^‡Traded mid-season

[edit] Goaltending

Note: GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average

			Regular season									Playoffs
Player	#		GP	TOI	W	L	T	GA	SO	GAA		GP	TOI	W	L	GA	SO	GAA
Phil Myre	1		46	2736	16	23	5	138	2	3.03		-	-	-	-	-	-	-.--
Dan Bouchard	30		34	1944	9	15	10	100	2	3.09		-	-	-	-	-	-	-.--

[edit] Transactions

The Flames were involved in the following transactions during the 1972–73 season.

[edit] Trades

June, 1972	To Atlanta Flames Bill Hogaboam	To New York Rangers Bill Heindl
November 28, 1972	To Atlanta Flames Leon Rochefort	To Detroit Red Wings Bill Hogaboam
February 13, 1973	To Atlanta Flames Arnie Brown	To New York Islanders Ernie Hicke Future Considerations (Bill MacMillan; May 29, 1973)
February 14, 1973	To Atlanta Flames Butch Deadmarsh	To Buffalo Sabres Norm Gratton

[edit] Free agents

Player Former team D Ed Kea St. Petersburg Suns (EHL)

Player New team

[edit] Claimed off waivers

Player Former team D Noel Picard St. Louis Blues This sports related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. [edit] Roster Atlanta Flames view • talk • edit Goaltenders Defensemen Wingers Centers GM: Cliff Fletcher Coach: Bernie Geoffrion [edit] References Flames on Hockey Database Flames Game Tracker on Database Hockey v • d • e 1972–73 NHL season by team East Boston • Buffalo • Detroit • Montreal • NY Islanders • NY Rangers • Toronto • Vancouver West Atlanta • Chicago • Los Angeles • Minnesota • Oakland • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • St. Louis See also 1972 NHL Amateur Draft • All-Star Game • 1973 Stanley Cup Finals v • d • e Atlanta Flames Seasons 1972–73 • 1973–74 • 1974–75 • 1975–76 • 1976–77 • 1977–78 • 1978–79 • 1979–80 • Calgary v • d • e Relocated and defunct NHL teams Relocated (still active) Atlanta Flames · Colorado Rockies · Hartford Whalers · Kansas City Scouts · Minnesota North Stars · Quebec Nordiques · Winnipeg Jets Defunct California/Oakland (Golden) Seals · Cleveland Barons · Hamilton Tigers · Montreal Maroons · Montreal Wanderers · New York/Brooklyn Americans · Ottawa Senators (original) · Philadelphia Quakers · Pittsburgh Pirates · Quebec Bulldogs · St. Louis Eagles